Thompson



AU8- 7 1951' L. THOMPSON 2,563,565

PHONOGRAPHIC RECORDING AND RERECORDING APPARATUS Filed DGO. 22, 1945 j; fil.

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6J M 6/ 62/ L 30 .73 M m L@ 67 37 40 54 "-565 25/ Q F52/ 42 4j LISTEN Tbl/(q) Jj U P DOWN INVENTOR. Z//ycaL/v /aM/Dsa/v BY l fraai/EY atentecl Aug. V7, 1&951

PHONOGRAPHIC RECORDING AND RERECORDING APPARATUS Lincoln Thompson, Cheshire, Conn., assigner to The Soundscriber Corporation, New Haven, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application December 22, 1945, Serial No. 636,837

4 Claims. (Cl. 179-10041) This invention relates to phonographs, and more particularly to an apparatus for recording and rerecording with a single turntable.

One object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of the above nature employing a pickup head and a recording head for making a copy upon a single record of previously recorded material such as music or dictation, and new acoustic material received by a microphone.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the above nature in which the recording head will selectively record the output from the playback of a previously recorded record and from a microphone receiving new sounds, such as dictation, in such a manner that a single record will be secured containing the previously recorded and the newly produced sounds.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the above nature in which a loudspeaker is located in the playback-recording-head circuit for permitting the operator to hear the previously recorded material, so that he may thereafter impress upon the microphone new material such as dictation or music to be recorded, on the same disk, in its proper sequential order.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the above nature in which auxiliary volume controls are introduced into the playback and loudspeaker circuits to compensate for the fact that the normal current levelvfor the actuation of the recording head is much higher than that for actuating the loudspeaker at comfortable listening volume.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the above nature in which filter means are employed in order to obtain better listening quality where the amplier is provided with means to produce an accentuated high frequency response during recording.

A further object is to provide a simple compact apparatus with which a correspondent may make original voice letter records and copy records thereof by means of avsingle turntable supporting both records.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very efficient and durable in use.

In one embodiment of the invention, the first step in the operation consists in recording the original acoustic material at the outer portion of a relatively large disk record. The second step consists of placing a smaller disk record concentrically upon the large disk.` The recording head will then be placed at the outer edge of the smaller record, and the playback head in the outer grooves of the previously recorded large record. The circuit connections will be such that the output from the playback head and the microphone will both be simultaneously impressed upon the recording head.

Thus the material already recorded on the outer portion of the large disk will be rerecorded or copied, and new material will also be recorded on the smaller disk. By connecting both the microphone and the playback into the recording head circuit through the amplifier, words spoken into the microphone may be recorded in pauses or silent portions of the original disk to produce a composite record of the material of the original large disk and the new microphone speech.

The present invention has been found to be extremely useful in the teaching of pronunciation and diction in the study of languages, and in the conducting of oral correspondence by means of mallable disk records.

Thus, a pupil in the language class may use this apparatus for taking oral examinations involving pronunciation, translation, etc. The student will listen to a loudspeaker or headphone which plays back questions previously dictated by the teacher and recorded on the outside of a large teachers disk (e. g. 7 inches in diameter), with silent portions following the questions. Thesilent portions are arranged to give the student enough time to comprehend the questions and then dictate his replies thereto. The teachers questions are reproduced by the loudspeaker and simultaneously rerecorded by the electrical apparatus on a small disk (e. g. iive inches in diameter) placed upon the teachersdisk and concentric therewith. The pupils answers will also be recorded on this inside disk. A complete permanent record of both questions and answers will thus be produced, permitting the instructor to grade the examination which may be on any subject matter which might be used in a written examination. The examination may also include pronunciation, conversation, translation, and other matters which could not be tested by a written examination.

As used in the Chinese language course at Yale University, recorded disks have become instruments of self-criticism by the student as well as for grading by the teacher. In this manner the student is easily taught to recognize Chinese tones, sounds, and inflections. The class may listen as a group, or individually, to the records which save the time of the instructor in conducting the necessary fatiguing drill. periods.

It was found possible at Yale University by The student may also take oralexaminations individually without the presence of the teacherrecording answers to the questions asked by the instructor on the original record. 1

In the conducting of oral correspondence, the method of the present invention can be of considerable importance because it permits the sender to make a voice copy simply and quickly on his specially adapted dictation apparatus of the original record containing the voice message which is to be mailed. Y n

If desired, the disk record which is retained for filing may'have any suitable additional special remarks or comments dictated upon it. This system produces a lecopy of a voice letter and saves the expense oitypewriting.

For voice letters, the original dictation will in general be limited to the outside area of a large disk record, and the Voice copy will be made on an interior smaller size disk record. It will be understood, however, that while either the larger Yor smaller disk may be mailed, it will usually be more convenientV and less expensive to mail the smaller disk, as this will permit the blank central area of the larger disk to be used for additional recording before filing it away. It is further understood that the original record may be the smaller disk, in which case the copy 1 will be the outer area of the larger disk.

`When this voice correspondence process is carried out on a dual recorder (with a pair of turntables), two voice copy records may be made simultaneously-one on theturntable on which the original recording was made, and a second on another turntable. i

It will also be understood that the present invention may be used to rerecord previously recorded music and selectively record on 'the same disk newly produced music so as to give the illusion of a two-piece orchestra, or to supply an accompaniment to a previously recorded vocal song.

With these and other objects in view, there has been illustrated fon the accompan-ying Ydrawing one form in which the invention may conVen-' iently be embodied in practice.

In the drawing, the single figure represents a diagrammatic view of a recording and rerecording apparatus embodying the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts, the numeral l0 indicates a recording arm carry ing on its end a vertically movable recording head Il, pivoted to said arm on a horizontal axis. Provision is Ialso made of a reproducer arm I2 having a playback head I 3 similarly pivoted thereto.

As disclosed in applicants prior Patent No. 2,250,242, granted July 22, 1941, entitled Disk Dictating Machine, duringnormal recordingplayback use of the apparatus disclosed therein, the recording head Vl|is adapted to be lifted from engagement.withl the disk recordl when the ing stylus will engage the record and indent a continuous groove thereon-the amplier circuits being then arranged for recording.

In the present invention the playback head I3 is adapted to be located upon a large previously-recorded teachers disk I4, preferably of thin stiff material such as Vinylite or aluminum such as was described in applicants prior Reissue Patent No. 22,183, granted September 22, 1942, entitled Apparatus for Recording Sound on Thin Disks. The numeral I5 indicates a smaller students disk of the same material resting upon the large disk I4 and held concentric therewith by a turntable spindle i6, preferably square in shape, as shown.

VThe turntable is driven by a motor i 'I supplied with A. C. from a pair of line conductors L1, L2, by means of a pair of conductors I8, I9 connected to a motor control switch S3 preferably mounted l on the recorder cabinet (not shown), and having a movable contact 20 and a fixed contact 2|, and

playback, the hand microphone set S is equipped Y with a three-pole press to dictate switch including the three sections S1, S2, and S4. The` set S has a microphone voice coil 22 which is connected by means of a conductor 24 to a xed contact 2l of the section S1 of the three-pole switch. v Y

The switch section S1 also has a movable contact arm 25 which is adapted to swing between a pair ofi-lxed contacts 26 and Z'L-said arm 25 being normally held in the up position shown on the drawing by an insulated connector rod 25h urged upwardly by a spring 25a. The rod 25h mechanically connects the switch arm 25 with the switch arms 28 and 20a and causes all three switch arms to move up and down in uni son.

The switch arm 28 is adapted to engage a xed contact 29 when in its normal upper position.

The movable contact 20a of the switch section S4 is adapted when down to engage a fixed contact 2Ia-said contacts 20a and 2m being connected to the conductors I8, I9, previously mentioned.

For controlling the apparatus when used for normal recording and playback operation, provision is made on the cabinet of'a talk-listen selector switch 30 of the vdouble-pole doublethrow type, having a pair of movable contact arms 3l, 32 insulated from each other and mounted to swing in unison. The switch 3o is mechanically connected to' a cam mechanism (not shown) which when in listen position lifts the recording head of the standard machine from the record as described in the above-mentioned Patent No. 2,250,242, and when in talk position lowers the recording head so that its stylus contacts the record.

i This selector switch 30 also lincludes a pair ofV p fixed talk contacts 33, 34 and a similarV pair of desired to convert the standard apparatus into condition for. recordng and 'vrereording midV amasar playback according to the invention herein dis-` closed.

In order to permit the student or other operator to listen to the playback of the material previously recorded on the outer record i4, provision is made of a loudspeaker 31 (or headphone) which receives the output from a main amplifier 39 having a preamplifier 38 connected therewith.

During normal recording as performed on a standard machine, it is essential that the higher frequencies be accentuatedv as described in the prior patent to Kleber and Thompson No. 2,239,042, granted April 22, 1941, and entitled "Wave Recording and Reproduction.

With the present invention this accentuation must be compensated for during listening periods when the three-pole switch (S1-S2-S4) is in the up position, as otherwise the loudspeaker which is connected in parallel across the recording head during rerecording, will sound too high pitched.

In order to accomplish such compensation, without appreciably affecting the amplifier response necessary for good rerecording, provision is made of a choke 42 arranged in series with the loudspeaker 31, and which is operative when the three pole switch is in the normal up position.

The choke 42 is connected by a conductor 43 to the contact 29 and the switch arm 28, when up, is connected by the conductor 48 to the loudspeaker 31.

The choke 42 is connected at its other end by a conductor 44 to the arm 32 of the switch 38, and is also connected from a junction 58 to a conductor 51 leading to the output of the amplier 39.

The contact 33 of the switch 30 is connected by a conductor 45 to the movable arm 25 of the switch section S1. Also the contact 34 of the switch 38 is connected by a conductor 46 to the recording and rerecording head Il which is connected by a conductor 41 to the loudspeaker 31, and also connectedfrom a junction point 58a to a conductor 56 leading to the output of the amplier 39.

The conductor 48 has a junction 49 which is connected by a conductor 50 to the listen contact 36 of the switch 30 for use on standard operation. The conductor 5I serves to connect the playback head I3 with one input terminal of the preamplier 38 and a conductor` 52 connects the playback head I3 with the listen contact 35 of the switch 30. The conductor 5I has a junction 5m which is connected by a conductor 5|b to the conductor 23, previously mentioned. The output terminals of the preamplier 38 are connected to the main amplier 39 by conductors 53, 54.

Provision is also made of a potentiometer 55 connecting the conductors 53, 54 for controlling the volume of amplication.

In order to control the volume of the loudspeaker or headphone independent of the recording volume, provision is also made of a potentiometer 59 connected to the conductors 5l, 52, respectively. The potentiometer 59 is connected by a variable contact 60 to a conductor 60a leading to a fixed resistor 6l connected to a condenser 62, which in turn is connected by a conductor 63 to the conductor 5Ib, while a con ductor 64 connects the resistance 6I to the contact 4I of the switch 40a.

The resistor 6| and the condenser 62 further compensate for the high frequency accentuation previously mentioned.

6' i AThe movablearm 3|,of the switch 30 is connected to an input terminal of the preamplier 38 by a conductor 65, and the movable arm 40 of the switch 40a is connected by a conductor 66 to a junction 61 on the conductor 45.

In order` to prevent oscillation of the amplifier when the microphone is disconnected from it (in the up position of the three-pole switch) provision is made of a dummy load resistance 68 which is connected by a conductor 69 to the conductor 23, and by a conductor 10 to the xed contact 26. i

. Operation When the talk-listen selector of the switch 30 is in the listen position, the recording stylus will be raised from the record as in the apparatus disclosed in the prior Patent No. 2,250,242. Listening will then be the same as though the standard machine had no special rerecording feature, and the amplified playback output will go to the loudspeaker 31 with the choke 42 short-circuited and with full pickup volume applied to the amplifier input.

When the rod 25h is up in listen-rerecord position, the microphone 22 will be disconnected, and the dummy load 68 will be thrown across the amplier input. In this condition the pickup i3 will feed into the amplifier input for rerecording with volume reduced by the volume control (59, 60), the high frequencies will be attenuated by the condenser 62, and the output to the loudspeaker 31 will be through the choke 42. A good listening quality will be thus maintained.

When the rod 25h of the hand set S is pressed down to talk-record position, the arm 25 of the switch Si, the arm 28 of the switch S2, and the arm 20a of the switch Si will engage the contacts 21, 29, 21a, respectively. The dummy load will then be inactive, the microphone 22 will be connected to the input of the amplifier, the pickup will be connected across the microphone, but attenuated, and the loudspeaker will be disconnected from the amplier output.

With the switch 40a closed, the playback input will be applied to the amplifier at all times whether the microphone switch arm 25 is up or down.

In the operation of the present invention for recording-rerecording and playback, thel switch Sa should be closed to cause the motor to 'operate continuously.

Under standard recording-playback operation, however, the switch S3 should be open. In this condition when the switch in the microphone hand set S is pressed down, the loudspeaker circuit will be opened; but the microphone will not connect into said circuit.

One advantage of the present invention is that the apparatus permits recording and 'rerecording on the same disk record turntable and may easily be combined with a standard type of dictating machine such as disclosed in the Patent 2,250,242, mentioned above, and may be converted into condition for stand-ard operation for recording and playback only by means of the selector switch 40a.

A further advantage is that by making the rerecorded copy on the same turntable as the original record, the fidelity of the copy will be better than if another recording turntable is used, because any speed changes or flutter in the turntable rotation will be cancelled out since the two records are simultaneously subjected to the same momentary speed changes.

7 '1t will also be understood that one or more additional recording heads on other recording devices may be connected in parallel with the recording head of the first turntable for making simultaneous copies.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be 1. In afphonographicrerecording'apparatus, a

single turntable, a first thin record disk supported thereonY for` rotationv therewith and having the outer portion ofits surface provided with previously recorded sound grooves, a smaller central thin disk record resting on and in direct contact with said rst disk for rotation therewith, a play backrhead resting on said first disk, a recording head` having an'indenting stylus resting with lhigh pressure on said smaller disk, an amplifier connectedwi'th said playback head, means forconnecting the output of said amplifier to said recording head-to rerecordV a transcription of said first disk on said smaller disk, a. lmicrophone, means to connect said microphone to the input of -said amplifier to selectively record fresh sounds impressedV upon said microphone on said smaller disk, and a loud-speaker in the output of said amplifier to render audible the transcription of the rst disk being playedback.

2. In a Vphonographic rerecording apparatus, a single turntable, a rst thin record disk supported thereon for rotation therewith and having the outer portion of its surface provided with previously recorded speech sound grooves, a smaller central thin record disk resting on and in direct contact with said rst disk for rotation therewith, a Yplayback head resting on said iirst disk, a recording head of the high-pressure ndentingstylus type resting on said smaller disk, an amplier connected with Vsaid playback head, means for connecting the output of said ampliefr to'said recording head to rerecord a transcription from said first disk upon said smaller disk, a microphone, means to connect said microphone with the input of said amplifier to selectively record fresh sounds impressed upon said micro-V a single turntable, af' first thin record diskY sup?" ported thereon for rotation therewith and having the outer portion of its surfaceprovided with previously recorded speech sound grooves, a smaller thin record disk resting on, concentric with, and in direct Contact with said first disk for rotation therewith, a playback head resting onV said rst disk, a'recording head of the high-pressure indenting stylus type resting on said smaller disk, an amplier'connected with said playback head, means for connecting the output of said amplifier to said recording' head to rerecord a transcription Y from said iirst disk upon said smaller disk, a microphone, means to connect said microphone to the input of said amplier to selectively record fresh sounds impressed upon said microphone on said smaller disk, and means for variably controlling the volume of the output of said playback independently of the volume ofA said recorder. l

4. In a phonograph rerecording apparatus, a

single turntable, a rst thin record disk supported thereon for rotation therewithV and having: the outer portion of its surface provided with' previously recorded speech sound grooves, a smaller central thin record disk concentric with and in directv contact with said rst diskfor rotation therewith, a playback head resting on said first disk, aY recording head resting on said smaller' disk, an amplier connected with said playback head, meansfor connecting the'output of saidk amplifier to said recording head to rerecord a transcription from said first disk upon said smaller disk, a loudspeaker in the output circuit of said ampliiier, a microphone, means to connect said microphone to the input of said amplifier to selectively record fresh sounds impressed upon said Vmicrophonepn said smaller disk, and a choke coil in the loudspeaker input circuit having sufficient inductance to reduce to normal the high-pitchedA tones ofthe transcription.

VLINCOLN THOMPSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

